Baby You're a Firework

Patriot is from Middle French patriot, from Late Latin patriota, from Greek patriotes "fellow countryman [i.e., people residing within the same *father*land], from patrios "of one's fathers, patris "fatherland", from pater (genitive patros) "father".

People often show their patriotism by flying brightly colorful flags.

    Various Flying Flags, unites-states-flag.com

The flags or standards represent families, tribes and peoples. They may indicate a person's fatherland. In ancient Egypt the hieroglyph which was a flag on a pole was ntr, neter, netjer, netter, meaning "divine", and the netjer were the gods, the divine ones (who stand tall, are bright, free, and finely woven together like flags). They were the ones who resided in the land of the dead, the  Duat/Tuat, i.e., the "afterworld," or netherworld (neterworld).

    ntr hieroglyph

A parrot is a brightly colored flyer as well. The word parrot is thought to perhaps come from Middle French perrot, a variant of Pierre "Peter". The name Peter means "a rock, stone", which has connotations of being a secure foundation.

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalms 18:2

We call God our Father. But what is a father? A father is a begetter of his children. Our Father in this sense is our creator. Father is from Old English faeder, from Proto-Germanic *fader (Old Saxon fadar, Dutch vader [Darth Vader was Luke's father, but this is pronounced more like "father"], Old High German fater, German vater), from PIE *pǝter- (Sandskrit pitar, Greek pater, Latin pater, Old Persian pita). 

So this would remind us of ancient Egyptian god, Ptah / ptḥ (Pee-tah), one of the netjeru (divine ones). Ptah was a creator (begetter) god of ancient Egypt. Here Ptah is shown finely arrayed in a feathered tunic, or we might say, phainopepla φαϊνοπέπλα "shinning robe" in Greek, like a parrot or Phainopepla ("shining robe," a passerine bird, i.e., from the order Passeriformes, from Latin passer "sparrow"). Feather is from PIE *pet-ra-, from root *pet- (also *petǝ-) "to rush, fly." Ptah is a pet-ra(feather) god, or perhaps we could say pet "flying/rushing" + ra "mouth/word; spell"[ancient Egyptian], he who conceived of creation in his heart and spoke it from his mouth. 

Ptah is a father god who is associated with the winged god of the dawning sun, i.e., Khepra and also the primordial mound (i.e., the rock [petra in Greek, keph in Aramaic]), as Ptah-Tatenen (ta meaning "land / earth" in Egyptian) who came out of Nun; the primordial waters.

   Feathered Ptah with Earth / Dome Looking Cap(Keph), from Tomb of Tutankhamun, Gilded wood, faience and glass., 1321-1343 BC, 18th Dynasty, Valley of the Kings

Ptah is also similar in concept to the god Khnum/Chnum who was also associated with Tatanen, and were both thought to be aspects of Ra, the sun god. Khnum is thought to be from root khnum / ḫnm "to join, unite" and "build." Khnum was the divine potter (pater?) who was commonly depicted as a ram or a man with a ram's head. So Khnum also had a hard rocklike head (kephalé in Greek) like Ptah (Pee-tah, Peter = rock). Khnum was also associated with the "ba of Ra/Re". The ba was a part of the soul often depicted as a human headed bird near a mummy (not unlike a parrot), and ba was also the word for "ram". Khnum was the ram (ba) of Ra who helped him travel through the underworld each night on his Solar Bark. 

    The Sun God Ra as Khnum-Ra traveling on the Solar Bark[with paddles], from the House of Eternity of King Seti I, KV17, West Uaset, Diospolis Megale-Thebes 

Jacob, a.k.a. Israel, the patriarch, gave his favorite son, Joseph, a kethoneth (coat, garment, tunic) passim (literally the flat of the hand[palm] or foot[sole]), which can be translated in many ways, but in any case was some sort of long-sleeved (it reaches to the palm) ornate tunic of fine quality (maybe even befitting of a god, or like the shining bird robe, i.e., passer "sparrow" phainapepla "shining robe" of Ptah). When the father gave his son this "coat of many colors" it made Joseph's half bothers extremely jealous.

 
      The Coat of Many Colors, For Madox Brown, 1867

The flats(flaps?) of the hands and feet are extremities of the body like wings. Kanoph is "edge, extremity, wing" in Hebrew, but can also describe a corner or loose flowing end of a garment. It was also used to describe the appearance of the "wings" of cherubim and seraphim. So perhaps special garments such as the kethoneth passim (coat of many colors) were meant to emulate the beautiful otherworldly appearance of heavenly beings such as angels and the netjer "divine".

    The Palm or Flat(Flap, Wing) of the Hand, by Julie O. /chthonickore, the palm tells the whole truth/story of the body.

For upon his long robe the whole world was depicted… Wisdom of Solomon 18:24

Patriarch is from Greek patriarkhes "chief or head of family," from patria "family, clan," from pater "father" + arkhien "to rule"(arkhon "ruler," Latin archon), from PIE *arkhein- "to begin, rule, command." The patriarch is the strong protector and guide of the family, maybe a patrician, from Latin patricius "nobleman," the origin of the name Patrick. 

A nickname for Patrick is Paddy. Paddy is a lot like "paddle" and paddles/oars are used for power, direction, and protection of a boat (or bark, as above with Chnum[canoe?]) 

    Carlisle Paddle, Scout Canoe Paddle, North Shore Water Sports 

The bark (boat) is made curved like an arch in a bow/arc shape (and rocks back and forth like a rocking chair / rocker with have arc shaped bases) Arc is from Latin arcus "bow, arch", from PIE *arku- "bowed, curved" (same root as Old English earh, Old Norse or) So maybe like the primordial mound; the curved vault of the sky "air"[father sky] and the curved surface of the land/earth [mother earth]which is our (b)ark or ark (Old English earc) though space. The bark is primarily a place of refuge upon the waters. In Latin arca is "large box, chest", and that which is within the arca is arcanus "secret hidden, private, concealed," from arcere "close up, enclose, contain, from PIE *ark- " to hold, contain, guard"(cognate Greek arkos "defense," arkein "to ward off"). 

We might also say patriarch is "father (formost, first, primary) + ark." Arkhe is "rule, beginning" in Greek, and arch-  in English is "chief, principle"(as in archangel, archbishop, archenemy), a Latinized from the Greek prefix arkh-, arkhi, "first, chief, primeval." So a patriarch would be the first first, like Tatenen, the primordial earth, in this sense.

Staves are held by rulers and patriarchs as sign of their power.

Fireworks pack a lot of punch. They are the oldest form of rockets. Rockets look like a type of staff or javelin. Rockets are missiles, from Latin missilis "that may be thrown or hurled", from missus "a throwing, hurling." Late Latin missa, mass, "dismissal". 

   Coloring page, ActivityVillage.co.uk 

Rocket is from Itallian rocchetto "a rocket", literally a "bobbin", diminutive of rocca "distaff" (Old High German rocko "distaf," old Norse rokkr, Proto-Germanic *rukkon-, from PIE *rug- "fabric, spun yarn".

    Lace bobbin Dutch c. 17th century(reproductions), from ilaria.veltri.tripod.com

A racket or raquet is a "handled paddle," from Middle French rachette, requette "racket for hitting; palm of the hand." Rackets have a woven patterned hitting surface.

    Badminton Rackets(which look like paddles or even insect wings), c.1900, from the strong.org

Ratchet is from French rochet "bobbin, spindle." Wooden ratchets actually look like the netjer(divine, god) hieroglyph, or a flag. They make quite a racket as noise makers.

    Rosewood Ratchet, called from larkinam.com

A distaff, also called a rock, is a tool used in spinning, it is from Old English distaef (Middle Low Getman dise, Low German disse "a bunch of flax" [so it is a flaxstaff]) Disstaff is also used to describe the female side of the family, female authority in a family, and the female sex. So here again(as with mother earth our rock and rocker in space), rock is used to describe the feminine rather than the masculine.

    Russian Distaffs, Ferapontov Monestary, Wikimedia, 2009

Bedizen means "to dress, finely adorn" originally dizen "to dress (a distaff) for spinning", but maybe also finely adorn the distaff (as above) before it is dressed in its flax(linen). Linen is "cloth woven from flax". 

Flask is a "container, bottle", Germanic base *fleh-, corresponding to PIE *plek- "weave, plait." Latin plicare "to fold," which is the same root as flax. A flask actually looks like the shape of the Russian distaffs or a paddle.

   Whiskey Flask, Kentucky Historical Society, c.1865

Other distaffs have more of a staff, traditional scepter, or javelin shape to them, rather than paddle/oar shape.

  The Virgin And Child with a Cross-shapped Disstaff [and spindle], Luis de Morales, St.Petersberg 

   Tip of a Freestanding Hasndcarved Disstaff(like a traditional scepter), knitspot.com

    La Rochelle, Spinner with spindle and (bedizen) distaf, William-Adolfe Bougeuereou, 1825-1905

It just goes to show that women are equally arch creators(begetters) and protectors of their families. Think of Callisto the mama bear / bear-mother of the Archadians and her son Arcus, who now reside in the night sky as the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Women are generally the ones who do the work of spinning and weaving throughout history. Don't mess with the ladies. Ladies rock!

    Women, non bedizen, jousting with bedizen distaffs, Bibliotheque Arsenal, Li queste del S. Graal, French manuscript, 1381

In the Egyptian and Greek mythologies goddesses associated with weaving were also war goddesses, namely Neith (Nit) and Athena. It is not surprising then that many instruments of war are modeled and named after spinning and weaving instruments.

    Wooden kherep scepter(with broken staff), Petrie Museum

This is an ancient Egyptian kherep / ḫrp-scepter. It looks like a type of distaff. The hieroglyph with the same shape was used for three different types of scepters that were similar in appearance, the kherep / ḫrp-scepter, aba-scepter and the sekhem / sḫm-scepter. According to some the kherep-scepter was "the controller," the aba-scepter "the commander," and the sekhem-scepter "the powerful." As a hieroglyph it expressed "power." Perhaps these types of Egyptian scepters were also based off of weaving instruments like distaffs, paddles, and bows. 

    Sekhem Scepter is like a shinny Oar. Or/Ore/Owr in Hebrew is "shine, light, enlighten, become light, dawn", as in, "Let there be light(or)". In English ore is "a metal-bering mineral or rock".

The shape of the ḫrp might be representative of the bow shape of a vibrating harp string that produces a tone that has "control" over people's emotions. The aba scepter maybe like the powerful palm / hand / wing of an abba "father" who "commands," and the sekhem may be like the powerful energy produced from a vibrating plate made out of metal (ore). That kind of vibration can be a very penetrating energy and feel almost electric.

Osiris was called "The Great Sekhem." He had the power of regeneration and was Lord over death and resurrection. What would it feel like to come in contact with that kind of energy?

A woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living on upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that the power (dynamin) has gone forth from me." Luke 8:43-46

Dynomite! 

    Sekhmet in hieroglyphics-  Sḫm (sekhem scepter) + kh / ḫ (round sieve; placenta + t (bread loaf, feminine gender indication)+ Seated Goddess

Sekhmet/Sekhmet/Sakhmet/Sekhet/Sakhet (like a power socket?) was the lion headed warrior goddess of Upper Egypt closely associated with the Eye of Ra (Wadjet, the royal cobra [like the seraphim]). One of her symbols was red (desher in Egyptian, the color associated with the desert) linen, and she was sometimes called nesert "the flame," "Lady of flame."

    I've Got the Power, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

What is this that Lego Cleopatra is holding? It is an iPhone charger or power chord, however it looks a lot like the sekhem-scepter "the powerful." Power can  be frightening when it is being used against you, but it is comforting when it is used for good, or working for you. Most of the power on earth comes from the sun (Ra / Re). The rays of the sun are taken in by plants and converted(spun into) to energy. Sekhmet was also a goddess of healing, medicine(made from plants) and menstruation, and was wife of the creator god Ptah, the rock, and that would make her rock-et, wouldn't it? So maybe that would make their baby a firework. 

Nefertem ("beautiful"+ tem) was the offspring of Sekhment and Ptah, he represented the blue lotus at the creation of the world, which we might call the Big Bang. Charge!

    Nefertem with Egyptian Lotus/Lilly Crown(flowers are clothed with petals[paddles, wings])

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29

Fireworks usually make beautiful flowerlike shapes when they go off in the sky and they are a popular way of celebrating patriotism on Independence Day, the 4th of July, as well as flying flags.

    4th of July Fireworks, by Tom Schopper- flickr.com

Fireworks explode in the sky (pt in ancient Egyptian) when the wick is put to a flame (nesert). The h in Ptah/pth is the wick hieroglyph. Wicks are made out of twisted, woven, or braided fibers such as flax. 

Ptah- p(stool[i.e., a raised mat] or mat[woven]) + t(loaf of bread)+ h(wick)+ seated god

Here again the baby of Ptah (sky + wick) and Sekhert (flame) would be the firework. Fireworks shimmer and fade like standards of the night sky. Fireworks stand out during the night like waving billowing flags do during the day. A flag is also made out of woven cloth like a mat (p hieroglyph). So maybe that square shaped mat of Ptah is like a flag "square piece cut from turf or sod", i.e., a p (woven material, fabric, woven flax, linen) + ta "land, earth", or a flag rock, flagstone "a flat square piece of rock," and flying flags are symbols for the fatherland (Ptah), a flag (turf) is a piece of the fatherland, and is the place of one's lineage (the line is made from the flax that is woven into linen). One's lineage can be shown through the types of material and clothes they wear.

    Linen Cloth

It is interesting that nes is "banner, standard, ensign, signal, flag, pole" in biblical Hebrew and nsr / neser  is "flame" in Egyptian hieroglyphic writing.

Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, by Paul Dickson [n + s + r + brazier hieroglyph determinative]

A waving banner has the look of a flickering flame on a candle(wick). The flag / banner hieroglyph means "divine," and God told Moses to put a seraph on a nes Numbers 21:8 to cure the sickness of the Israelites when they were bit by "fiery serpents" in the desert. Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a nes "pole" and the people were cured when they looked upon it. This would seem to undoubtedly be some sort of Sekhmet, who was called "Lady of Flame" nbt nsrt and "Eye of Ra" irt ra / Wadjet(the divine fiery serpent) ritual. Kind of strange to think; coming from a patriarch. God told Moses to make the fiery serpent on the pole(Goddess Sekhmet/Wadjet) to heal the people, but he had gotten supper pissed off when Aaron made a golden calf(the Goddess Hathor) for them to worship when they asked him to because they were worried that Moses was delayed on the mountain Exodus 32. When Moses came down he burned it up, grounded it into power, put it on the water and made the people drink it. One has to feel a little bit of sympathy for the poor idolatrous Israelites. 

    Adoration of the Golden Calf, by Nicolas Poussin, 1594-1665

Idolatry is not necessarily as clear cut as it may seem. It is more a state of mind than a certain action, as are many sins. The bronze serpent ended up having to be destroyed as well, because the people were worshiping it too 2 Kings 18:4  Idolatry is a sneaky subtle(like a snake) trap. However, people want to point the finger and say, "There! That is an idol(clear cut) and therefore those people who 'worship' it are idolaters." But really an idol is simply a God who is idle(not vital), and an idolater is someone who is happy to worship an idle(lifeless) God. In other words, you have no real relationship with that God. It is a fiction / imagination and is one sided between you and your worthless god who is really no god(power). That God does not preform or do anything, not like the God of Elijah who set Elijah's sacrifice ablaze notwithstanding the three measures of water poured over it. Elijah's God was not an idol. He proved that, but it took great  faith on the part of Elijah. Elijah trusted that his God would prove himself not idle(not an idol).

    Elijah with his altar to YHWH(the LORD), and the Four hundred and fifty devoted(notice how they cut themselves) prophets of Ba'al(the Lord), 1 Kings 18:20-40

And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of YHWH; and the God who answers by fire, he is God . . .  1 Kings 18:24

We don't see many folk with that kind of patriotism these days. But those Old Testament stories are just "idol" tales in any case, aren't they? Why should we take it to heart? We are rational! And what is rational happens to be, "my side (God/father/flag) is right (not idolatrous), and your side (God/father/flag) is wrong (idoloty)".

Wanna fight? Ready, aim, fire … um, no I don't want to fight. The battle can be with words and ideas, and it can be a friendly sport rather than a war. Let's just watch the fireworks instead. We can discuss differences over beer and hotdogs.

If You Love Someone...

    If You Love Someone, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

Love (v.) is from Old English lufian "to feel love for, cherish, show love to; delight in, approve," from Proto-Germanic *lubojanan(source of Old High German luban, German lieban). And Love (n.) is from Old English lufu "feeling of love; romantic attraction; affection, friendliness," from Proto-Germanic *lubo (root of Old High German liubi "joy," German liebe "love"; Dutch lof; German lob "praise"; Old Saxon liof, Old Frisian liaf, Dutch lief, Old High German liob, German lieb, Gothic liufs "dear, beloved"), from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root *leubh "to care, desire, love."

So the word love has many cognates which have similarities with words meaning liberty, leaf, life, and lobe, to name a few.

Liberty is, by way of French, from Latin libertatem "freedom, condition of a freeman; absence of restraint; permission," from Latin liber, libera "free, unrestricted, unimpeded" thought to be from PIE *leudh-ero- "belonging to the people" *leudh- (2) "people." Also source of biblical Greek eleutheros "free." Perhaps it is  *leudh-ero- "belonging to the people," more precisely in the sense of belonging to persons, or individuals with personal rights under the law, unlike slaves (also root of Old High German liut "person, people").

The pileus [Ancient Greek pilos πῖλοσ, meaning "felt"] was a conical, brimless felt or leather hat worn in Ancient Greece by travelers, workmen, and sailors. In Ancient Rome it was especially associated with freed slaves (eleutheros), being given to them upon emancipation. It became a symbol of liberty and freedom from bondage. The Liberty caps of the French revolution were modeled after the Greek pilos, however they were also confused with the Phrygian cap which was the hat of Mythras and Attis (the Phrygian cap flops over at the top), therefore many versions of the Liberty cap are Phrygian caps.

   Liberty Caps, French Revolution

Pileus in English is a word associated with cloud formation (cap clouds) and some living organisms such as birds (the cap of the head), sea urchins, jellyfish and different types of fungi(mushroom caps). So the word in English relates to its appearance. The pileus shape can definitely be associated with the idea of something that is *bhel- (2) meaning "to blow, to inflate, swell," (which is said to be the PIE root of ball, balloon, bold, bowl, follicle, etc.) It is not the given etymological source of the word pileus, however, pila is "ball, playing ball" in Latin, and pilus is "hair." 

The pilos helmets worn by the Ancient Greek military were made out of bronze and therefore these would have had certain shared characteristics with bells.

Bell, as in a gong, is said to be from PIE *bhel- (4) "to sound, roar," (also source of bellow), but bells do have an inflated pileus shape, as well as being instruments that produce loud inflations of noise. And a bellows, as in the tool used for a fire, is a kind of inflated wind bag, which in Latin is follis "bellows, leather bag," both of which are said to be from PIE *bhel- (2) "blow, inflate, swell."


Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philidelphia (Brotherly Love), Pennsylvania, first cast 1752

[ philos is a Greek word for "loving", and adelphos is "brother", but philos is similar to pilos (the inflated cap) which is a symbol for freedom. Delphys is "womb" in Greek. Therefore pilidelphia may give us insight into why we have affection for our brothers, namely we have come from the same womb. We have the same mother; Lady liberty. We are loved children of the free woman not the slave, and we have free will, which is freedom to choose, which allows for our growth and the expansion of our minds, symbolized by the pileus worn on the head.]

Both bells and the pilei are symbols of liberty. Many kinds of mushrooms have a pileus shaped top. Certain kinds of mushrooms have been used throughout history for their ability to produce psychedelic experiences that are said to help set minds free.

    Psilocybe semilanceata, hallucinogenic mushroom, Sweeden, Mushroom Observer, (Fr.) P. Kumm

This[psylocibin] is a form of gnosis, and the voice of gnosis has been silenced in the western mind for at least a thousand years.  –Terrance Mckenna

Leaf as in "leaf of a plant, foliage; page of a book, sheet of paper," is said to originate from Proto-Germanic *lauba (same root as Old Saxon lof, Old Norse louf, Dutch loofa, Old High German loub, German Laub "foliage, leaves," Gothic lauf). It is said that *lauba is perhaps from PIE *leub(h)- "to peel off, break off"(source of Lithuanian luobas, Old Church Slavonic lubu "bark, rind). 

Leaf isn't said to come from to PIE *lab- / lap "to lick; lip," which is the root of  lap[v.1] (said to be an imitative base), even though the Proto-Germanic root of leaf is similar, i.e. *lauba- (leaf). And in German Löffel has the meaning "spoon [also bucket, shovel, ear]," and is said to come from *lab-/lap-, and it sounds similar to leaf. Both spoons, lapping tongues, and sometimes even leaves have cupped shapes, the shape which is also sometimes similar to things peeled or broken off(*leub(h)-ed) like husks and bark. In fact one could make a Löffle(spoon) out of a leaf or piece of bark and use it to lap liquid.

Neither is leaf said to be from the same root as lobe, from Medieval Latin lobus, from Latin lobus "hull, husk, pod," from Greek lobos "lobe (used of parts of the body such as earlobe, lobes of liver and lung), lap, slip; vegetable pod." It is said  that lobos / lovos λοβός is perhaps related to leberis in Greek meaning "husk of fruits" which is from PIE *logwos. However *logwos sounds like logos "word" (Gk.), and Logos is from PIE *leg- (1) "to collect, gather; to speak." So maybe the leberis, the husk of the fruit, is something like a *leg- "collection" + wos "vase"? (in Latin vas is "container, vessel"). Perhaps we could describe the Word, i.e. Logos, as a lobe or bubble(perhaps a protected enclosure, i.e. "garden" or "paradise," or pot) in the darkness of the infinite waters. God opened his lips (from same root as Old High German lefs, German Lefze "lip" Lefzen "chaps," Danish læbe, Swedish läpp) to speak the  and what swelled (*bhel-) out was Om, the word of God. The first moment of inflation, like the Big Bang. That word was a lobe or a leaf, a swelling or blooming of life, and maybe a pilos(pileus), mushroom cloud, sounding gong; dawn of the day. 

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  Genesis 1:3

    Logos of Creation, by Julie O. /chthonickore

So leberis "husk of fruits" is said to come from PIE *logwos which is a possible origin of lobe. But this is interesting because lobe can have the meaning of "a lobe of the liver or lungs," from early 15c., i.e., things that have an inflated, curved look or shape, and the Latin and Greek words for leaf (folium, phyllon φύλλον) are said to come from the PIE *bhel- meaning "to blow, to inflate, swell." So in this tradition "lobe" seems to be connected with the Latin and Greek origins of words for "leaf." 

Leaf in Latin is folium and folia "leaves," from PIE *bhol-yo- "leaf" (Greek phyllon φύλλον "leaf"), from PIE *bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom," said to be possibly by way of *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell"(this again is like pilos the inflated hat). Then, there is labia "lips" in Latin which is similar in meaning to lobe. And if you think of God in the motherly aspect, the labor of creation was birthed through their labia. A seven day labor, oh God! But it was a labor of love <3

So this connection, i.e. lobe with leaf, would seem to also point to a connection between the words lip (PIE*lab- "to lick; lip") and leaf, then. At first it doesn't seem that leaves have a lot in common with lips.

    Lip Leaf 

However, lips are namely something blown up or inflated; lucious lips, and a tongue that licks is also a swelling in the mouth. The Latin and Greek words for leaf are said to come from PIE *bhel- "to blow, to inflate, swell." So it seems possible that English word leaf is associated with the root meaning lip, as well as PIE *leub- "to peel off, break off." 

A loofah is a plant that resembles a cucumber and is peeled, but it is not a leaf. What is *leub(h) -ed (pealed) off does in fact look like a husk. 

    Leup-ing a Loofah/Luffa, from marian33031 Redland Rambles

The loofah is liberated from this leberis (husk) and can be used as a body scrubber (if you love someone you might loofah their back for them). The husk looks similar to a leaf or papyrus (paper), so perhaps there is some truth to both *leub(h)- (peel) and *lab- (lip) as being the origins of the word leaf (as well as love, life, and liberty).

    Heart Shaped Plumeria Leaf, and Lip Shaped Leaf underneath, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

Liber, libri is "book, paper" in Latin. Paper comes from trees and the pages made out of paper are called leaves. The leaves have words written on them that speak (legein) to us when we read (legitur) and bring us (*leg- "to collect, gather") knowledge (-logy) and freedom. Books give us lip, i.e., a door / way for expression.

   Biblos, Libri, Books

Aleh is "leaf, leafage" in biblical Hebrew, from alah "go up, ascend, climb." Leaves grow out and up. Up, up, up as in "Jack and the Beanstalk." Jack found treasures at the top of his beanstalk(way up in the pileus clouds), but it proved to be a perilous journey in gathering his goodies. He had to leverage some help from the giant's wife, levare (leaf-are) in Latin is "to lift up, lighten," from levis "light (in weight)," from PIE *legwh- "light, having little weight; easy, agile, nimble".

    Mickey and the Beanstalk, Toby Bluth, 1947

The beanstalk represents a challenge and opportunity, not unlike the labyrinth or riddle of incarnation and death upon the tree that must be solved in order to be saved. Perhaps we could call the World Tree the Laub (leaf)-yrinth, labor-ynth, that revealed knowledge and when was conquered reveal the secrets of the Tree of Life. It is a labor of Liebe (love) that liberates us from imprisonment in the labyrinth of sin and death.


    Maze-like, Labyrinth Vein Pattern on a Guava Leaf, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves [phylla φύλλα] of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  Revelations 22:2

The death and resurrection of the Christ creates a gateway to heaven / God, i.e., bab el. In biblical Greek pulon / pylon πυλών is "a large gate; a gateway, porch, vestibule," from pule / pylé πύλη "gate, gates, [i.e. the leaf (phyllon) or wing of a folding entrance Strong's]." So in this sense the leaves of books are gateways to higher knowledge, book (liber) contains knowledge which can set a mind free (liber), or books (libri) contain knowledge which can set minds free (liberate).

    Castle Gates

It is said in legend that the Cumaean Sibyl wrote her prophesies on oak leaves. But she is often shown with an open book (so a book with leaves) in artwork. In this case below she is shown with a biblos "witten book, roll, or volume." But one could speculate that since the Greek word for "oak" drys / drus, also simply means tree (dree), from PIE *dreu- / deru- "wood; tree," specifically meaning "be firm, solid, steadfast," perhaps the story could have been that she wrote her prophesies on "tree leaves," which might mean some kind of paper, rather than a literal oak leaf, or maybe even a different type of tree leaf. Phegos is another Greek word used for "oak (a specific species)," but it is cognate with PIE *bhagos "beech tree (root of Latin fagus), the ultimate origin of the  English word book. So if the oracle wrote on phegos leaves, it might mean paper (leaves, pages) made from wood (trees, maybe oak, or beech).

    The Cumaean Sibyl, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, 1877

The father in the story of the Prodigal Son left his son alone because that is what the son wanted. He let his son leave, and this ended up giving him new life. It was in having the freedom to leave (leaf) that he grew into the man that he became. He sloughed ([s]*leub(h)-ed off the old man), or turned a new leaf. His father loved him, so he let go. He did not force him to stay home, you might even say the father contributed to the fall of his son because he gave him his inheritance. How could his father "support" his son to sin in this way?

    John August Swanson, American, The Prodigal Son(detail), 1984

Did he truly love him? Shouldn't he have stopped him from sinning? 

Perhaps that is backward thinking, maybe lack of giving freedom is a sign of lack of love. His father did not want his son to suffer, but the son needed to learn for himself and the father allowed for that. He gave him freedom because he loved him. His father did not need to control him and make him do the "right" thing. That's not what he wanted. He wanted his son to want to be with him freely, and want his good advice in freedom, not through force. And what of the sin? It was completely forgiven and forgotten once he learned his lesson. This is because the father never cared to control and force the right way upon his son, that only leads to resentment. Look at the other son, the brother. He thought he was righteous for obeying, but he was not truly with his father in spirit and he was not happy. The father wants his children to be happy.

  

Our failure is not what bothers God, our Father, but rather, our unhappiness. Does he want us to obey, or to be happy? Why is it wrong to disobey God? How does our disobedience offend God? 

   Jiminy Cricket, Pinochio, Walt Disney, 1940

Obey is from Latin ob "to, toward" + audire " to listen to." Listen to God because he wants you to be happy, not because he wants slaves. And how does one listen to God?

Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment… For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. GS 16., CCC, 1776

That is interesting that this passage is paragraph 1776 in the Catholic Catechism isn't it? It is talking about true freedom and personal sovereignty. It is talking about something inside that cannot be seen or known finally by anyone other than God and the individual. Others can have their opinions about the integrity of another individual, but they can never judge because they cannot know what is in the heart of another.

When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking. CCC 1777

We are indeed friends of God, those who want to be. Friend is from Old English freond, from Proto-Germanic frijand "lover, friend," from PIE root *priy- ont- (present participle) form of *pri- "to love" (Sanskrit priyah "dear, beloved; wife"), which is the same final root as the word free which is from Old English freo "free, exempt from, not in bondage," also, "noble, joyful"(such as a free spirit), from Proto-Germanic *frijaz, from PIE *prijos "dear, beloved," also from *pri-.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends [free], for all that I have heard from my father I have made known to you. John 15:15

In Latin liber / liberi is "free" and liberi is also "children." We are freeborn children and friends of God because God loves us.

Those who are loved are dear to us. Frigg was the wife of Odin. The name Frigg has the meaning simply of "dear, beloved; wife (therefore connotation of friend and free)," and is cognate with Sanskrit priyah "dear, beloved; wife".

    The Gods Decending(Odin and Frigg, notice blaed shaped spear tip[see below]), Von Stassen, 1914

So much should you be willing to love someone in their freedom, that you should be willing to die for them if they choose poorly, which proves great love for them as Christ did for the world. Christ let ignorant fools crucify him! It is the sick who are in need of a physician.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-14

And who are we called to love? Our neighbor, correct? Who is our neighbor? EVERYONE. To truly say we love our neighbor, we must be willing to die to ourselves for them. What looks more like love? To force someone to follow the rules as you see them, or to give them their God given freedom to do things in a way you think is wrong? What if how they are doing things "wrong" might cause you to loose out as you see it? Should you resort to force and violence out of "love" for them? How is that love? This kind of love by force may not be easy, it might be very hard. It is exhausting and unpleasant to fight for your truth in this way. It's not necessarily a easy thing to do. However, difficulty / toil is not a sign of righteousness in and of itself. Look at Cain, he toiled and his offering was not acceptable to the Lord. Cain wasn't even all wrong, he was right about one thing, he asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9 No, you are not, Cain. We are not our brothers's keepers, but neither should we murder them. When one person takes away the freedom of another it is in fact kind of violence to his brother.

This does not mean that one person has license to harm another individual.
License is "liberty to do something, leave," from Old French licence "freedom, liberty, power, possibility, from Latin licentia "freedom, liberty, license," from licere "be allowed, be lawful." There is no liberty to harm another individual and no one has to submit to another in a way they don't choose to. Criminals are free to not submit to those who wish to imprison them. They are taken by force. Whether the ones who accuse and judge the criminal of a crime have decided to restrict that person's freedom rightfully is not always certain. To take away another's liberty should never be taken lightly. It's fine to do it, go ahead and do it. Many times no one will blame you if you do it trying to defend yourself, or another, however, when the final judge judges they may judge in favor of you, or against you. So never make those decisions lightly. No one can know God's righteous judgment (and therefore be a judge) with certainty until all the veils have been lifted. 

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself… But by your hard and impatient heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgement will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious [here erithia "self-seeking"] and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:1, 5-8 RSV

Licentious is "morally unrestrained," from 1530's having negative connotation. It is from Medieval Latin licentiodus "full of license, unrestrained," from licensia "freedom, liberty (both positive and negative sense)." The proper regulation in this case is by the individual of their own passions. The individual should not be giving their passions free license to run wild if they want to be happy. Self discipline is important for happiness. In this case the individual is the God or judge; the one with knowledge, i.e. conscience (com "with"+ sciencia "knowledge") of their own body and actions.

    Exercise is a Type of Discipline

Heretic from Greek hairesis "a taking, a choosing" and has come to mean someone who holds an opinion that is different from what is accepted or taught to be right or true, especially regarding religious beliefs. A heretic thinks something that is contrary to orthodoxy, and the fear is that heresy draws people away from the truth and leads people astray and has to be fought against. If one is orthodox they are not able to choose for themselves, but must submit in obedience to the religious authority. So it is about a restriction of freedom.

Heresy and heretic are not words used in the bible. However, to the Jews at the time of Jesus, Jesus was a heretic because he claimed to be the son of God. The word in the bible used to describe this idea is blasphemy or blasphemer. 

    Christ Before Caiaphas, Giotto di Bondone(1267-1337) Jesus a Jewish Heretic

Jesus was accused of blasphemy for saying and doing things that were opposed to what the Jewish religious authority taught. There is a long list of grievances throughout the New Testament. Since Jesus was only speaking the truth and was obedient to God in what he taught, rather than man, what he did was good. The scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites who were putting the letter of the law above the spirit. So we have learned from Jesus that there is no shame in and of itself in being accused of blasphemy or heresy.

The Greek word αἱρετικόν hairetikon appears once in the New Testament. It is usually translated as meaning "factious, divisive, or heretic." It is the adjectival derivation of hairéomai αἱρέομαι, αἱρήσομαι "to choose, have a distinctive opinion". 

It is definitely used with negative connotation in the passage.

As for a man (anthropon) who is factious (hairetikon), after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemened. Titus 3:10

Was Jesus a hairetikon anthropon? Jesus was causing a faction to rise up that was opposed to what the religious leaders were saying. Was this wrong for Jesus to not obediently preach in a way that his leaders wanted him too? Why was it OK for him to disobey or choose his own course of action? Of course it was good for him to do this because the leaders had gone astray from the truth, and Jesus was obeying his Father in heaven above the authority of man. So Jesus should not be negatively labeled as a hairetikon anthropon "factious man" even if he was a heretic. The sentence directly before the one quoted above gives an indication of why being a so called hairetikon anthropon is bad, and it is not for the reason that we label as heresy today. 

But avoid stupid (moras) controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. Titus 3:9 (RSV)

It is the causing of division or faction over unimportant matters that is so wrong. Jesus had very good reason to do what he did. The people were in bondage to the law and Jesus wanted to set them free from the law of sin and death.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not again submit to the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Paul said this statement above when the people were trying to cause division over the law of circumcision. Some of the Jewish followers of Christ thought that the gentile followers needed to follow the practice of circumcision. Paul is basically saying that for them to demand this as orthodoxy is heresy, i.e. it is choosing division about stupid and unprofitable controversy, over unity (not that the people who followed the law were doing something stupid necessarily, but they were not seeing the true purpose of the law). 

But how can there be unity if everyone is free to choose for themselves?

In that case the unity is like the unity of a whole body, rather than the unity of a single part or piece of a thing alone.

If everyone is given the freedom to think and choose for themselves then there is not division if that right is respected. There is a unity in freedom. The division comes when the law is imposed about needing to be a certain way. Then people have a struggle and choice to make because of the law or the rule about who they are going to follow; this side or that side, my own way, or the way of the church or state, my conscience or church or the state, etc. Sometimes these choices can be very hard to make. However, if people are free to act as they choose then there is no strife (division) in this regard. Instead they can simply all be acting toward one common goal, but not necessarily all in the same way. Remember in the first century after Christ there were many churches that were supposed to be acting as one body in Christ Revelations 1:4 . Acting as one does not mean that everyone needs to think the exact same way, it just means they can peacefully discuss issues and differences as if they were truly one body, working together, and come to peaceful agreement with love and respect for neighbor, so that they would no more wish to fight with their neighbor over the law than they would wish for their right hand to smash their left thumb with a hammer.

    Remember, I'm just doing this because I love you. And you've been bad, vewy, vewy bad., photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

It seems that taking away the freedom of another to act as they see as being right is what is condemned in the passage from Titus (and I don't mean this gives anyone free license like, "Hey, yeah, well maybe I think it is right to come over and smash your face in. How do you like that? How do you like my freedom now?) It is about not prohibiting the freedom of one to follow their own conscience. Threats and rules that seek to overstep this God given right for any reason are heretical.

He [a person] must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters. DH 3:2., Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 1782

And just to be clear, information and communicating opinions, desires, wants is never wrong. Instruction born out of love is different from demand. There is nothing wrong with instruction. The father in the story of the Prodigal Son tried to instruct his son, but when his instruction was not headed he did not disown his son, ridicule, try to manipulate, or force him to obey. The father let his son go in love, hopping he would freely choose to return. The father did not choose division. There were no threats, only love.


    Olev Korolev Russian, Prodigal Son, 2005 - "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." Isaiah 9:2 - Now that feels like love!

A true gift is not given with any conditions (unconditional). If a gift is given with the thought, "Only if X,Y, Z," then it was a demand or a manipulation. And if you force a "gift" upon someone who doesn't want it, it is not given out of love. The only way to share the gift of faith is through love, anything else is self-serving. Jesus never said to convert by the sword or force, or to protect him, or prevent his own persecution and death at the cost of love. What he did not accomplish through his words and actions in his lifetime, he sought to rectify and accomplish by his great love, by dying for love. Why ever did it become "good" to act differently and to seek to build up treasure in this this world? Simon Peter, the first pope, wanted to protect Jesus, what is wrong with that that? He wanted to protect someone he loved. But, Jesus said to him, 

Get behind me Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men. Matthew 16:23

Peter had authority, but what did Jesus want him to do with that authority? 

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." John 21:15-17

    Lost Lamb, Del Parsen, 2007

When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, maybe he was asking if he would give him the freedom to be abused for the sake of his lost sheep? Who are Jesus' lambs? Who are his sheep? Feeding is nourishing and tending. Would Jesus want this feeding of the sheep to be tender and gentle, especially with the ones that are most lost? Or does, "Feed my sheep," mean force them to follow the law? Is the law nourishing? No. The letter (gramma) kills 2 Corinthians 3:6. Instruction is not about forced obedience, but nourishment. Instruction is for the sake of another's ultimate happiness. And yes, it is true that by being heavy handed, harsh, strict, and brutal, you may get people to heaven, because God works good even from evil, and people can learn and become strong from painful experiences that are imposed upon them. However, will the one forcefully imposing the law be getting to heaven by this behavior? And furthermore, wouldn't it be better to get people to heaven through love, i.e., good from good, and not be the instrument of evil, all things being equal? There may be evil in the world and good comes out of evil, but woe to the person who commits the evil! In the end evil will not remain.

        Sacred Heart of Jesus, illustrates Christ's labor/toil/crown of thorns love - from fisheaters.com

Christ's love for his sheep proved to be a labor of love. In biblical Hebrew leb / lev, (pl. libbah / libbot) lebab / levav  is heart. The heart is another lobe of the body. This leb/lev does not only have to do with the organ, but also concepts like the heart being "the inner man, mind, will, heart" of a person. As a verb lebab can have the meaning "to get a mind or encourage,"so like "hearten" or "take heart" in English.

You have captivated my heart [libabtini], my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart [libabtini] with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. Song of Solomon 4:9 ESV 

The fast beating of the heart is a sign of love. People are willing to die for love. It is a feeling that slays like the blade and burns with passion (lahab is "flame, blade" in biblical Hebrew). Blade is from Old English blæd "leaf" or "leaf-like part" (of a spade, oar, etc.) ultimately from PIE*bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom, possibly the same as *bhel- (2) "to blow, swell".

        Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by a blade, from fisheaters.com 

Love as a feeling involves movement and growth. It is never stationary, but always acting and growing otherwise it does not exist, or we might say it dies, as when the heart ceases to beat in the body, the body dies and does not grow anymore. Love is meant to be eternal. This means its growth is not limited. Trees can loose their leaves in the winter and they look dead, but when the spring comes if new leaves grow, we know that the tree is alive and was only asleep. Some people expect love to always be like the spring or summer, but if they do, and never allow for the continuing of the cycle, then love surely dies like a flower that has bloomed. The flower never remains, it grows, and dies. If the flower does not produce fruit and seeds, then it will not grow again the next spring (if it is an annual). In the springtime love is fresh and new like a flower. In the Summer passions peak and are consumed in heat, but it doesn't end there. These are seasons of life and love. After the flame (lahab) subsides, after the full of the moon (lebanah), in the fall remain the embers produced by the flame, and the fruit of magical merging, union, harvest, which is the abundance that sustains through the darkness of winter, sleep, rest. Ahhhh, autumn. Then a cozy hibernation (sleep), or cold immersion (baptism) and type of death. Then, good morning! Wake up! Spring out of bed! We are ready for the excitement of spring once again. 

Latin libido "desire, lust," from libere "to be pleasing, to please," from PIE root *leubh "to care, desire, love," same root as Old English lufu (love), and similar to the root of leaf (*leub(h)- "to peel off, break off").

Life is from Old English life, lie, from Proto-Germanic *leiban "continuance, perseverance"(same root as Old Norse lif  "life, body" Dutch liif  "body," Old High German lib "life", German Leib "body, flesh"), from PIE *leip- "to remain, persevere, continue; stick, adhere" also "fat" (live(v.) from Old English lifian, is from same root). We might say liposuction is sucking the life out of a person (Greek lipos "fat, grease"). What is more sticky than being a soul bound to a body? It's kind of a crazy thing to do.

    Adam and Eve, Antonio Molinari, 1701-1704

However, if you are not alive in a body, then perhaps you aren't really LIVING. I mean passionately living and loving, leafing, lobing, et al. In a sense spirit is most free, but maybe it needs purpose to be free from loneliness. Real freedom comes from being in the body having a beautiful sensual experience without suffering, by mastering the passions so that the body serves the spirit. It is a garment of greatness or weakness. It is the cause of downfall, and it is the cause of becoming Christ. That is very extreme, you either win it all and gain heaven, or loose everything which is the pits! 

When we leave the body at death, the body is in fact remaining with the earth in matter. This use of "leave" is somewhat contradictory to its origin. Leave(v.) is from Old English læfan "to let remain; to let survive; to bequeath," from Proto-Germanic *liban "remain," also from PIE root *liep- "stick, adhere; fat." When we leave our possessions to another upon death we are giving the things to the person, but when we physically leave a place we are giving our absence, and therefore leaving our authority and rights regarding the space to those left there.

Having the experience of life and living (in the body) and leaving (death) should ultimately be the cause of joy (liubi). What is the good of anything if it does not make us happy, if it is not pleasing or pleasurable? Is heaven just simply heaven, or is it the place that is the most pleasing? And if it is not the most pleasing place, then why would anyone want to be there? 

Smear from Old English smerian, smierwan "to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc., from PIE *smeru- "grease"(source of Greek myron  μύρον "perfume, ointment, unguent [Latin unguere "to smear"], balsam," the one who is smeared "greased" with oil is the messiah the "anointed." 

a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume [myrou μύρου], which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. Matthew 26:7

And he was smeared with myrrh (smyrna σμύρνα or myrrha μύρρα "myrrh" in Greek) after death as well.

And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh[smyrnes σμύρνης] and aloes, about a hundred pounds. John 19:39

The origin of the word myrrh is said to be from a Semitic source. Myrrh in Akkadian is murru, Arabic murr, Hebrew mor, Aramaic mura, from marrar meaning "bitter," which is also one given origin of the name Mary. To be the king of heaven means to be smeared with bitterness (anointed by Mary [Magdalene]), which is nothing less than the experience of life. It is that ever flowing, looping cycle of continual growth and change, and there is always more, and more, and more. It is eternal. The one who lives in the body (Leib) is the messiah anointed by life; smeared with life.

Fear not, I an the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1:17-18

Chrism comes from Greek khrisma χρίσμα "an unguent, anointing, unction," from khriein "to anoint"/ chrió  χρίω "I anoint," said to be from PIE *ghrei- "to rub." Is it painful to be the anointed one; the Christ? Might it, khriein, be a cause of crying? It is definitely grimy and grisly.

Then Jesus crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46

PIE *ghrei- "to rub" is also given as the root of Lithuanian greiju "to skim the cream off." Indeed! Something truly great was attained by the suffering of Jesus. He became the cream, the best and most fatty part, the Christ. Christ was made perfect by this most egregious (from Latin egregius "distinguished, excellent, extraordinary") suffering. 

    The Ressurected Christ, by Salvador Rosa, 1615-1673

We too become egregius when we are anointed by the Spirit and we are taught what we need to be free.

I write this to you about those who would deceive you; but the anointing which you received from him abides in you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:26-27

Now it is time to start believing it.